Ornamental shoe-lace guard.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

. P. MYERS. ORNAMENTAL SHOE LACE GUARD.

APPLICATION IILED MAB.26,1906- FRANOESOA MYERS, OF ST: KILDA, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

ORNAMENI'TAL. SHOE-LACE GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4. 1906;

Application filed March 26, 1906. Serial No. 308.060.

To all whont. it Wtay concern/r Be it known that I, FRANoEsoA MYERS, gentlewoman, a subject of the King of Great Britainandlreland, residing at 59 Beaconsfield Parade, St. Kilda, in the county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented a new and useful Improved Ornamental Shoe-Lace Guard, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to laced shoes or boots. The objection to these in the past has been that the laces on ladies shoes or boots bythe rubbing of the dress-bottom front used frequently to work loose or, worse still, actually become untied. In addition to this, they were sometimes unsightly.

The object of my invention is to provide a combination which not only overcomes the foregoing defects, but also conceals the said laces and acts as an ornament.

My combination may take the form of a bow or any other suitable attachment; but for the sake of convenience I have illustrated a bow.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1 is a front view of my combination. Fig. 2 is a back view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1. The lace-supporting rings are for the convenience of illustration shown outstanding at right angles to the foundation-piece. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a laced shoe, portion of which has been broken away. The free end of the bow is hinged back. Fig. 5 shows, on a reduced scale, a shoe complete. The bow is in place.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts where they occur therein a buttonhole D and expansion-slit D. This passes over a button E, attached to the upper-top, or instead of abutton beingused to secure the free end of the said foundation-piece I may employ any other speedy means of attachment and detachment. I do piece by a button at oneside only. The said foundation-piece near its middle is attached to the back of a gathering-strip F. Within this gathering-strip, which constitutes aloop, isheld the ornamental bow consisting ofthe.

two loop endsG and H. Said bow isfprefer ably not secured to the ends of the foundation-piece and is of suflicient size to conceal practically the entirety thereof, thus enhancing the sightliness of the device.

To the back of the foundation-piece are attached two'lace-supporting rings J; They are preferably stitched to the said foundation-piece or may be attached thereto in any well-known way. It is not essential that plain rings be employed, since the main idea is to provide spaced securing means constructed to retain the laces at the rear of the foundationpiece, thus obviating the awkward necessity of passing the laces through from one face of the piece to the other.

On reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the lace K is both knotted and looped, the knot being marked L, the lace-loop M, and the lace end N. One of the lace-loops and one of the lace ends are placed in their supportingring.

In practice my invention is used as follows: The shoe or boot having been drawn upon the foot, the lace K is strained and the two portions of the upper thereby drawn together. The said lace is then knotted, as seen in Fig. 4. The lace-loops M and the lace ends N hang over the side of the upper, and when the said lace-loops and lace ends and my combination are in the position shown in Fig. 4 the left-hand lace-loop M and lace end N are threaded into the left-hand lace-supporting ring J, while the right-hand lace-loop and lace end are threaded into the right lace-supporting ring. The free end (I of the foundation-piece, which carries with it the free end H of the bow, is then drawn down to the upper and the buttonhole D passed over the button E.

By my combination the lace is concealed, the knot is protected, the lace ends and laceloops are supported, and an ornament is added to a shoe or boot which materially enhances its appearance.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shoe having a laceclosure, of a foundation-piece, means for detachably securing said piece over the upper end of said closure, an ornamental member carried at the front of the foundation-piece, and a lace-securing device projecting from the rear face of said piece and constructed to receive the lace ends in rear thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shoe having a laceclosure, and with the lace thereof, of a foundation-piece, means for detachably securing said piece over the upper end of the closure, an ornamental member carried at and concealing the front of said piece, and a lace-securing device projecting from the rear face of the foundation-piece at either side of the middle thereof and constructed to receive the lace ends in rear of said piece.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a shoe having a lace-closure, of a foundation-piece, means for detachably securing said piece overthe upper end of the closure, an ornamental member carried at the front of said piece, and spaced lace-securing rings projecting freely from the rear face of the foundation-piece.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

FRANOESCA MYERSf Witnesses CECIL MCSLASTRIOE, GEORGE A. UKEN. 

